Tunnel-mold form.



H. B. LOXTERMAN.

TUNNEL MOLD FORM.

APPLlCATlbN FILED APR. 25. I9l6.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

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H. B. LOXTERMAN.

TUNNEL MOLD FORM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 19m.

1 2l% 53, Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

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rm: NORRIS Itrzns ca. FHaTmL/TMQ. WASIHNG mu. 5" c HOWARD B. LOXTERMAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO BLAW STEEL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TUNNEL-MOLD FORE/I.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 16 1917,

Application filed. April 25, 1916. Serial No. 93,365.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD B. Lox'rnn- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunnel-Hold Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tunnel. mold forms and more particularly to that class of mold forms used in the construction of concrete lined railway tunnels, and has for its principal objects the provision of a mold form that may be used in making wide tunnels without the use of special travelers and cross bracing; the provision of a mold form that is easily manipulated and may be moved readily into new'positions; the provision of a large mold form made up of small, easily handled, inexpensive elements and such other objects as may hereinafter appear. One embodiment of the invention appears in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a mold form set in position with one half thereof collapsed, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mold form.

Referring to the drawings, the mold form comprises a pair of side forms 1 and 2 each consisting of a series of rectangular panels 3 secured together to form the side mold form. These panels are supported and held in alinement by vertical channels 4. Curved angle irons 5 are bolted to the upper ends of the channels 4: and serve as a support for a curved section of the side form. A strip of wood 6 is bent with the same curve as the angle irons 5 and is secured thereto and upon this trip is placed a series of wooden planks 7 which form the upper end of the mold face of the side forms 1 and 2.

The upper ends of the side forms 1 and 2 are connected by means of a channel beam 8 which has a slot and bolt connection at 9 with connecting plates 10, which are securely bolted to the angle irons 5. The channel beam 8 is also supported by diagonal brace angles 11 which are securely bolted at their lower. ends to the vertical channels 4: and carry at their upper ends angle clips 12, which clips are provided with holes through which bolts .13 project into the slots (not shown) in the'l'ower web of the beam channel 8. It will be seen that with this arrangement the side forms 1 and 2 may be moved toward each other when it is desired to collapse the mold form. The movement is accomplished by means of the turn buckles let, one end of which is bolted to plates 15 carried by the beam channel 8, while the other ends are secured to the connecting plates 10. The lower ends of the side forms 1 and 2 may be drawn toward each other by means of the diagonal tie rods 16 which are rovided with turn buckles 17. The upper ends of the tie rods are secured to the plates 15 carried by the beam channel 8 and the lower ends are secured to the supporting plates 18 secured to the channels 1 at the lower end of the side forms. Another tie rod 19, having a turn buckle 20, connects the supporting plate 18 of one side form with the connecting plate 18 of the opposite side form, and also serves to assist in drawing in the side forms and holding them in rigid position when collapsed.

The ceiling of the tunnel is formed by means of a pair of arched trusses 21 and 22. These are made up of curved angles 23 and which are connected at their ends by means of plates 25 and '26, the space between the plates 25- and 26 being reinforced by the latticed angles 27 which are securely riveted to the angles 23 and 24:.

The inner ends of the trusses are provided with angle clips 28 which are adapted to be bolted together by means of bolts which extend through holes in the abutting faces of the angles.

The outer ends of the trusses 21 and 22 are supported by jack screws 29 which are supported upon the channel beam 8. The outer ends of the trusses are secured in position by means of the downward projecting extensions 30 of the plates 26, which are provided with vertical slots 31 and engage clips 32 bolted to the upper flange of the channel beam 8. These clips 32 are provided with horizontal slots 33 through which bolts 34: extend, thus providing an adjustable connection between the channel beam 8 and the trusses. It will be seen that the trusses may be raised or lowered or moved laterally in case it is desired to increase the width of the mold form. If the width of the form is to be increased a filler panel is inserted between the abutting fianges of the angle clips '28, making the form the desired width. The

space between the side forms and-the trusses is bridged by curved angles 35-, secured at their upper ends to the'plate 52,6,v and at their lower end to the connecting plates 10. 'EhcplatesQtS and 1-0 are provided with slots through which bolts 36 may extend to make a slip connection between the truss and the side form.

W'ooden planks 3'? are placed upon the truss members to form the mold face of the arch form of the mold. These planks are placed in position a few at a time as the concrete is being filled between the earth and the mold formj Where the planks of the side forms and the planks of the arched forms meet at the joint of the forms there maybe a gap which is covered by means of the plates 38.

The lower ends of the side forms are provided with wheels 39 which are supported upon shafts 4C0 between longitudinal channels atl. These channels are securely bolted to the lower edges of the supporting plates 18 by means of angle clips 42 which are secured both to the supporting plates 18 and to the channels il. It will be seen that the wheels 39 are free to move laterally with re spect to the side forms for the purpose of permitting movement of the side forms inward when it is desired to collapse the forms. The forms are rolled into position Upon the rails 13 when in their collapsed position.

Nlien the side forms are placed in their operative position they are securely held in place by means of the anchor bolts 44, which are embedded in the earth or rock at the side of the tunnel. These anchor bolts are provided with enlarged internally threaded heads 15 into which bolts 16 are screwed. As each tunnel mold comprises a. plurality of panels it is desirable to reinforce the panels at the joints so that they will be held in alinement at all times. This is accomplished by means of wooden stringers l? which eX- tend longitudinally of the forms and are held in position by means of the bolts' l6.

The operation of the mold form is as fol lows: The mold form is first set up in its collapsed position as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1 and moved along the rails into the desired position. The side forms are then moved out into their operative position by turning the turn buckles 1%. The bolts 4e are then secured to the anchor bolts 44 which serve to hold the side formssecu'rely 7 in operative position.

complete mold form upon which the wooden planks 7 and37 may be placed. 7 7

Concrete; is supplied over the top of the metal panels 8 until the concrete has reached the top of the vertical channels 1. time the wooden planks 7 are put in place as the concrete is being filled. The wooden planks 3'7 are later slid into position, and finally concrete is placed over them from the ends of the mold form.

After'the concrete has become set and it is desired to remove the forms; the connecting angles are first removed and the bolts 34 and the bolts 13 and at 9 are loosened. Tie rods 16 are then placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, and bolts 46 are then re moved. The side walls may then be drawn inward by turning the turn buckles 1e, 15

and 20. After this has been done the jack' screws 29 are turned so as to lower the trusses 21 and 22 until they are in the position shown at the left of Fig. l. The forms may then be moved to a new position.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the details of construction withont departing from the spirit of the invention, and the invention is therefore not limited to the specific construction herein illustrated and described.

WhatI claim is:

1. A tunnel moldcomprising a. pair of side mold forms, a beam carried by the side forms connectingthe upper ends thereof and having a slip connection with the sidef'oims, an arch form above the side forms, and means for adjustably supporting the arch form upon the beam whereby the arch form may be raised and lowered.

2. A tunnel mold comprising apair of side mold forms, a beam carried by the side forms connecting the ripper ends thereof'and having a slip connection with the side forms means secured to the, beam for moving the side forms with respect to the beam, an arch form above the side forms, and means for adjusta-bly supporting the arch form upon the beam whereby the arch form may be raised. and lowered.

3. A tunnel mold comprising a, pair of side mold forms, a beam carried by the side forms connecting the upper ends thereof and having a slip connection with the side forms, an arch form adjustably supported upon the beam, wheels for supporting the side forms mounted for relative lateral movement therewith, and means secured to the beam for moving the side forms with respect to the beam.

4. A tunnel mold comprisin'ga pair of'side mold forms, a beam carried" by the side forms connecting the upper ends thereof and having a slip connection with the side forms, an arch form adj ust'ably supported upon the beam, wheels for supporting the side forms mounted for relative lateral movement there- At this" With, and means secured to the upper and lower ends of each side form connecting with the rear and fore ends of the beam respectively, for moving the side forms with respect to the beam.

5. A tunnel mold comprising a pair of side forms-a beam carried by the side forms connecting the upper ends thereof and having a slip connection with the side forms, an

arch form supported upon the beam, diag- 1c beam.

HOlVARD B. LOXTERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

